January Transfer window news

[STFU]

The business done in this window could conceivably been done without us spending any more than we were already on wages.

Without the battery farm money, then I don't see how we can rebuild for a strong/er season in 24/25 or even to the level we're at this season unless someone else throws a few hundred thousand into the abyss that is our finances.

Ferguson is doing what he can to keep the team in this league this season, but it falls to the CEO and Board to ensure finances are in place to allow him to do anything beyond that.

Our future will be determined by the Highland Council planning department.

[wilsywilsy]

58 minutes ago, STFU said:

The business done in this window could conceivably been done without us spending any more than we were already on wages.

Without the battery farm money, then I don't see how we can rebuild for a strong/er season in 24/25 or even to the level we're at this season unless someone else throws a few hundred thousand into the abyss that is our finances.

Ferguson is doing what he can to keep the team in this league this season, but it falls to the CEO and Board to ensure finances are in place to allow him to do anything beyond that.

Our future will be determined by the Highland Council planning department.

Looking past the cozy sound bites, I wouldn't pin hopes on the BESS loading the coffers for a squad rebuild any time soon. If approved it will probably take a few years to build. Plus the BESS market is currently in the gutter - the big players in this space have seen revenues and profits plunge. Their seems to be a glut of BESS capacity already in the build pipeline around the UK too.

[Stephen Malkmus]

17 minutes ago, wilsywilsy said:

Looking past the cozy sound bites, I wouldn't pin hopes on the BESS loading the coffers for a squad rebuild any time soon. If approved it will probably take a few years to build. Plus the BESS market is currently in the gutter - the big players in this space have seen revenues and profits plunge. Their seems to be a glut of BESS capacity already in the build pipeline around the UK too.

I would imagine ILI will find a buyer pretty easily. They sold this one in December pre-construction. The money could come to us well before the facility is actually built.

https://renews.biz/90240/ili-sells-50mw-scottish-storage-project-to-edpr/

It may already actually be part of ILI's deal with Statkraft as the intention is that the BESS will connect to the scheme below as far as I can remember: 

https://www.hydroreview.com/hydro-industry-news/pumped-storage-hydro/statkraft-to-acquire-red-john-pumped-storage-hydro-project-from-ili/

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

To me the smart thinking is that we are holding on to a number of younger "reserve" players but putting them in positions where they get regular football and that can only end up showing if they are up to the mark or not. The other issue would be financial and we are probably paying some spondoolicks for the loanees - especially McAllister - and Samuel, unless there is some kind of agreement with Uncle Roy !!

 

[wilsywilsy]

37 minutes ago, Stephen Malkmus said:

I would imagine ILI will find a buyer pretty easily. They sold this one in December pre-construction. The money could come to us well before the facility is actually built.

https://renews.biz/90240/ili-sells-50mw-scottish-storage-project-to-edpr/

It may already actually be part of ILI's deal with Statkraft as the intention is that the BESS will connect to the scheme below as far as I can remember: 

https://www.hydroreview.com/hydro-industry-news/pumped-storage-hydro/statkraft-to-acquire-red-john-pumped-storage-hydro-project-from-ili/

To immediately sell the asset (which ever part of the asset the club actually owns) would seem pretty disingenuous would it not? The sales pitch and lobbying of councillors from the board was all on the premise of the projects revenue sustaining the club and its community projects to infinity.

I haven't seen anything to suggest this BESS was linked with Red John or the Stratkraft deal.

 

[Stephen Malkmus]

24 minutes ago, wilsywilsy said:

To immediately sell the asset (which ever part of the asset the club actually owns) would seem pretty disingenuous would it not? The sales pitch and lobbying of councillors from the board was all on the premise of the projects revenue sustaining the club and its community projects to infinity.

I haven't seen anything to suggest this BESS was linked with Red John or the Stratkraft deal.

 

If the asset is sold for £5 million, which seems to be about the going rate, then the profits will sustain the club for years. ILI claim in the planning documents that they aren't benefiting financially and that the profit from the development would go to 'ICT Battery Storage Ltd.' which is wholly owned by the club. I don't see how that is disingenuous.

I'm sure Gardiner has mentioned something about the projects being linked at some point, but probably not that it was linked to the Statkraft deal, that was just speculation on my part.

Edited February 2 by Stephen Malkmus

[RiG]

It's not unusual for one company to secure planning permission or even build out a particular development with the goal of selling it to someone else for more money.

[wilsywilsy]

2 hours ago, Stephen Malkmus said:

If the asset is sold for £5 million, which seems to be about the going rate, then the profits will sustain the club for years. ILI claim in the planning documents that they aren't benefiting financially and that the profit from the development would go to 'ICT Battery Storage Ltd.' which is wholly owned by the club. I don't see how that is disingenuous.

I'm sure Gardiner has mentioned something about the projects being linked at some point, but probably not that it was linked to the Statkraft deal, that was just speculation on my part.

Yeah I understand that developers often off-load projects once the planning hard yards are done.

I have perhaps misinterpreted the long term community benefit being spun. I would see a quick sale as disingenuous insomuch as the club gets a one off pump-n-dump from the project that the directors can splurge. This is instead of partnering the project for the long term revenue prospects and sustaining those community benefits.

I would have doubts about a £5M valuation - maybe if it included the land. Even if it was that figure, I would be surprised if the real land owners (Cameron and co) are not lined up for a decent slice. Is it not widely publicised that ILI are getting kick backs from the club, such as using the car parks for Red John plant and equipment? If so, their claims in the planning application of getting no financial benefits loses credibility and becomes questionable - hard to believe a business would do all of this for free.

Anyways. Back to transfers.

 

Edited February 2 by wilsywilsy

[caley1]

Cameron and company are just trying to get something on land as it’s zoned for open space and not for any other use . By getting planning permission on part of the said land it is then hoped it opens up the rest of the land for development . Planning are not that stupid . 

[Scotty]

5 hours ago, CELTIC1CALEY3 said:

On a more humorous  note the Club press release says Aribim left the Cavalry to go to Spain!!! 

Calgary Cavalry in the Canadian Premier League: https://cavalryfc.canpl.ca/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aribim_Pepple

 

 

[hislopsoffsideagain]

So our total business in the window:

IN: Remi Savage (Newcastle United), James Carragher (Wigan Athletic, loan), Jeremiah Chilokoa-Mullen (Leeds United, loan), Cammy Kerr (Dundee, loan), Sean McAllister (Everton, loan), Aribim Pepple (Luton Town, loan), Alex Samuel (Ross County, loan)

 

OUT: David Carson (Livingston), Zak Delaney (Arbroath), Sean Welsh (Queen's Park), David Wotherspoon (Dundee United), Keith Bray (Elgin City, loan), Ethan Cairns (Banks o' Dee, loan), Jake Davidson (Hamilton Academical, loan), Lewis Hyde (Brora Rangers, loan), Robbie Thompson (The Spartans, loan), Cillian Sheridan

 

Regarding the players who have left, obviously we'd have all loved to keep hold of Wotherspoon. Welsh was a great player for us but his fitness has always been an issue and it seems that Dunc prefers Gilmour and Anderson as his starting central midfielders. Moving Welsh on will have freed a significant wage, and he was surely going to leave in the summer anyway. Ditto Carson, who has probably been usurped at right wing-back by Kerr but would have been another option in the middle od the park. Again, Dunc seems happy with his options there, with McAllister brought in as another alternative to the current starting trio of Gilmour, Anderson and Shaw (hopefully Roddy MacGregor stays fit as another option here).

 

Meanwhile Delaney and Davidson have rarely looked of Championship standard and have shown precious little signs of progressing towards that level so we've done well to move them on (Davidson only temporarily, mind - Dodds gave him a two year deal!). It's nice to see us coming up with SPFL loans for youngsters rather than Highland League ones for a change.

 

As for the newbies, McAllister and Pepple are obviously unknowns, but the three centre-backs all look like they have something about them and Kerr and Samuel should do very well for us. In the short-term we seem to have enough quality and depth to stay up (famous last words) though we'll need a pretty decent run to get to the promotion playoffs.

 

The long-term picture is murkier. That's eight loan players we have now. We don't have many folk under contract for next year - Davidson, Nicolson, Savage, Ujdur, Gilmour, Longstaff, Brooks and Mckay plus a few youngsters I think? Ideally we need to get ourselves safe quickly so there is plenty of time to decide who to try and keep and to try and convince them to stay...

Edited February 2 by hislopsoffsideagain

[CELTIC1CALEY3]

17 hours ago, Scotty said:

Calgary Cavalry in the Canadian Premier League: https://cavalryfc.canpl.ca/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aribim_Pepple

 

 

Yes, I did see that Scotty but thought it an unusual name.